'We all have his back,' says Tipperary boss Cahill about red-carded teen McCarthy

Cahill said that at the same time as Darragh McCarthy was sent off there were "15 other incidents going on".

Tipperary’s Noel McGrath concoles Darragh McCarthy after he was red carded at the start of the Munster SHC game against Cork. Liam Cahill said McCarthy is a "mentally a very strong young fella". Pic: ©INPHO/James Crombie

Tipperary manager Liam Cahill did not argue the red card issued to teenager Darragh McCarthy but speculated that other such striking incidents went unnoticed during a charged opening at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

McCarthy’s sending-off in the first minute precipitated Tipp’s demise, a 15-point demolition that has turned their Round 3 trip to Ennis into a “knockout” clash.

Tipp, remarked Cahill, have “one chance” to save their season.

“It is a difficult day for young Darragh. He is 19 years of age, a lovely kid. He is just misfortunate today. Johnny Murphy did a good job today, I am not questioning that in any way shape or form. But I am sure there were definitely 15 other incidents going on at the same time around the field and I'd imagine if he looked at any of them, something similar would be the case,” said Cahill of the 53rd second red card.

“It really did affect the game as a spectacle. We were coming down for a ferocious battle and suddenly, all of a shot, the wind was taken out of your sails.

“But look, young Darragh will be fine. He is mentally a very strong young fella. And he is beating himself up, as well, which is not unusual for a fella that loves his hurling so much. We all have his back in Tipperary and we'll support him.” 

Unless there is a successful appeal of that red card over the next fortnight, Tipp will go to Ennis without the corner-forward. With Clare and Tipp managing just one point each across the opening two weekends, Ennis, on May 10, is “knockout hurling”.

“We get one chance at this thing. Just calling it as it is, we weren’t expected to pick up anything out of them two opening matches. That would have been the narrative. We have one point out of four, it is better than zero points out of four.

“We’ll go to Ennis and if we get two there, it will give us an opportunity to get out of Munster with our last home game in Thurles. That is what we need to focus on now and to give ourselves that opportunity.”